Johnathan Paoli
Two suspects, aged 30 and 39, appeared at the Bela Bela Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday, following their arrest for their involvement in the break-in and robbery at the Phala Phala Farm in 2020.
An unknown amount, believed to be between $580,000 was stolen in 2020 from the farm which belongs to President Cyril Ramaphosa, with former head of the State Security Agency Arthur Fraser initiating criminal charges against the president and his head of security, General Wally Rhoode.
Hawks spokesperson Colonel Katlego Mogale said the suspects were arrested on Sunday and on Monday, on charges of housebreaking and theft.
“The pair was arrested in Rustenburg and Bela Bela, by the members of the National Serious Corruption Investigation in relation to the Phala Phala farm break in February 2020,” said Mogale.
Mogale confirmed that the arrest of a third suspect was imminent in the ongoing investigation.
Despite coming under severe public scrutiny over the saga, the ANC government has previously blocked an attempt to revive an investigation by a panel led by Retired Chief Justice Sandile Ngcobo, who found that Ramaphosa had a case to answer for and may have violated a number of laws.
Public Protector Kholeka Gcaleka, has officially exonerated the president, a decision which is set to be challenged in court following the Hola Bon Renaissance (HBR) foundation launched a bid to overturn her report.
In addition, the SA Reserve Bank too found that despite Ramaphosa’s legal entitlement to the money being questionable, there was no legal obligation on the President or his Ntaba Nyoni entity to have declared the foreign currency under exchange control regulations since the transaction of the buffalo purchase was not ‘perfected’.
The President has maintained that the dollars were brought by a Sudanese businessman for the purchase of the buffalo that he never took stock of hence the Reserve Bank’s findings that the transaction was not ‘perfected’ and therefore Ramaphosa had no legal obligation to report the foreign currency.
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